


Christmas Present

by Brynn_Jones



Series: Home [4]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Bittersweet, Family, M/M, Sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-14
Packaged: 2018-08-31 02:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8559760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brynn_Jones/pseuds/Brynn_Jones
Summary: Aaron finally has the much-needed talk with Sandra. Liv buys a present and gets one in return.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I had a bit of trouble putting this one into words, so if it seems a bit jerky at times, I'm sorry :)

Aaron let out a nervous breath as he sat down at the kitchen table, Sandra already seated opposite of him with a cuppa. She was looking at him intently, as if she knew what he was about to say, which made Aaron even more hesitant. The conversation was long overdue though, as Sandra had been visiting for almost a week already and except for that first evening, the matter of Liv's living arrangements hasn't been brought up once. With Sandra having to leave the next day due to work though, Aaron knew he couldn't avoid it any longer. Robert had taken Liv to Leeds under the guise of shopping for Christmas presents, so that he and Sandra had a bit of privacy, and while Aaron appreciated the thought, he wished he had his fiancé there to support him. However, they had both agreed that Sandra would feel a lot less attacked if she wasn't clearly outnumbered.

"Aaron?" the redhead asked with a forced smile when Aaron didn't speak.

The brunet cleared his throat. "Yeah, right. So..."

"Is this about Liv?"

Aaron nodded. "Yeah, look... I'm just gonna go and say it, she doesn't want to leave.  She's got a proper home now in Emmerdale and I don't think that having her move again would be all that great," he finally got out with a wince.

Sandra sighed. "She could have a proper home in Ireland, Aaron, with me."

Aaron quickly nodded. "I know that, I'm sure she'd have settled down eventually, but look at it from her point of view. She's tired of all the changes, she just wants to be a normal girl."

The redhead smiled and Aaron almost cringed at how forced it was. "That's what I want for her too, but-" she paused, "doesn't she miss me?"

"Of course she misses you," he quickly assured the woman, "she talks about you all the time," he lied.

Sandra let out a watery laugh. "Didn't really look that way when I came, did it? She couldn't get away from me fast enough. And she's hardly spent any time with me this past week."

Aaron nodded in understanding. "I know, but that's not because she doesn't love you. She just hates that you want to take her away - not because she doesn't want to live with you," he continued to spin the lies, "but because she doesn't want to live in Ireland. She doesn't know anyone there, she'd have to find new friends, new activities, new everything."

Sandra sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Aaron, I appreciate you looking after her, but surely even you must want to get your life back by now? You never signed up to be a father of a teenage girl, can't be easy. Especially now that you're starting a new life with Robert?"

Aaron shook his head vehemently. "Liv is a part of that life, Sandra. Sure, we didn't sign up for it, but we wouldn't change it."

"Are you sure?" she asked, disbelief clear on her face, "I remember what it was like, she was exhausting."

Aaron shrugged. "Yeah well, she is often doing my head in but she's a lot better now than she was in the beginning. She stopped acting out as much, pulled herself together and picked up her schoolwork. She's doing great."

"So you said," Sandra nodded thoughtfully. "So what you're really saying is that if I take her to Ireland with me, she's going to act out again?"

Aaron bit his lip. "I didn't say that exactly," he said slowly, "but I guess? I mean, she's acting up now just at the mention of it."

The redhead closed her eyes, looking resigned. "Did I really lose my daughter?" she questioned with a tremor in her voice.

Aaron didn't know what to say. He wanted to reassure his former stepmother but he found himself at a loss for words, so he found himself sitting in uncomfortable silence, exchanging fleeting glances with Sandra as they tried to think of anything else to say. Their quiet was disturbed few minutes later by the sound of the back door opening and closing and then light footsteps making their way into the back room.

Robert came in first, carrying three bags laden with purchases, followed closely by a cheerful blonde girl, another two bags in her hands.

"Did you leave anything for other people to buy?" asked Aaron with raised eyebrows. He'll never be able to understand his lover's form for shopping.

Robert grinned at him. "We didn't buy that much, just a few bits and bobs for the family, some clothes for Liv any myself and something for you."

Aaron smiled. "Yeah? What did you buy me?"

Liv scoffed. "As if we would tell you, you'll get it on Christmas Day," she informed him. "I can't wait to see your face when you open it." It was at this point that the cheer left her. "That is if I'll still be here on Christmas," she snarked with a look Sandra's way.

The redhead stood up from behind the table, walking up to her daughter. "Is there no way for me to change your mind?" she asked as she put her hands on Liv's shoulders, though her expression held no hope.

Liv shook her head. "I'm happy here, mum. I mean this is the first Christmas in years that I'm actually looking forward to."

Sandra blinked furiously to get rid of the tears that welled up in her eyes. "Ok," she whispered, "you can stay."

Liv immediately brightened. "Really?" she asked with a grin.

Sandra nodded.

The teenager squealed, though Aaron was sure she would deny it if he told her, and embraced her mother. "Thank you, mum," she grinned into Sandra's hair, "I love you."

"I love you too, baby," Aaron heard the redhead say. He glanced at Robert and had to laugh at the soppy look on his fiancé's face.

The tear jerking scene came to an end, when Liv wiggled out of the hug and skipped over to Robert, sticking a hand in one of the shopping bags. "We bought you a Christmas present too, mum," she said, pulling out a glittery red box, "Robert's paid the lady at the register to wrap it, so you can't open it until Christmas, ok?"

Sandra was undeniably crying now, big tears rolling down her cheeks as she accepted the bow adorned box from Liv. "Thank you, luv."

Liv shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "No worries, just call and tell me how you liked it once you open it, right?"

Sandra nodded, hugging her daughter again. "Of course."

The teenager wiggled away again. "You can stop now," she mumbled, "no need to get all sappy. It's enough I get it from Robert all the time."

Robert didn't even pretend to be offended as he shrugged. "You keep on telling yourself you don't like it. You and Aaron both like to pretend you're all tough but in the end you're just two big softies."

He received two identical offended faces.


End file.
